Dominant central defender who has established himself as a key member of the Czech team.

Although Repka missed out on his country's march to the final of Euro 96 - he was suspended after being sent off for the under-21 team in March of that year - he made the team for the second game of qualification for Euro 2000.

He was ever-present from then on, save for the 2-1 defeat of Scotland when he was suspended.

Suffice to say, he will not miss out because the coach does not want him there.

Repka's game has improved further with his move from Sparta Prague to Serie A's Fiorentina - and he was instrumental in the defeat of Manchester United in the first qualifying phase of this year's Champions League.

Strong in the air and a danger going forward at set-pieces, his natural competitive attitude is both his biggest strength and biggest weakness.

When the concentration slips, he is likely to end up in the referee's little black book. When he is able to channel it positively, he can look like one of the best defenders on the continent.